Moving in Texas: how to set up electricity at your new address

By the BillAnswers team · Updated November 3, 2026 · How we check facts

If your new address is in an area with retail choice, pick a provider and plan, then sign up with the service address, your billing details and one identity check item, and agree on a start date. If you are leaving an address under contract, Texas rules say you owe no early termination fee for moving as long as you give a forwarding address and, if the provider asks, reasonable proof that you moved.

First: does your new address have a choice?

The PUCT says you can choose your provider if you live in the ERCOT region and are not served by an electric cooperative or a city-owned (municipal) utility. Power to Choose adds that some communities are served by municipal utilities, cooperatives or investor-owned utilities where choice is not available.

Check by ZIP code. Enter your new ZIP code on Power to Choose. If it shows "No plans found," your ZIP code may not be in an area open to competition. If your ZIP code has more than one wires company, the site asks you to pick one. You can also call Power to Choose at 1-866-797-4839 (1-866-PWR-4-TEX).
Outside ERCOT. The PUCT says it sets the retail rates of four investor-owned utilities outside ERCOT: Entergy Texas, Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO), Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS) and El Paso Electric. If one of them serves your new address, check your ZIP code on Power to Choose or ask the utility.
City utilities and co-ops. Their own boards set rates and service policies, not the PUCT. Contact the utility directly to start service.
Big cities. San Antonio (CPS Energy, community-owned) and most of Austin (Austin Energy, City of Austin) are served by city-owned utilities, so you sign up with that utility instead of choosing a provider. See which Texas cities can choose.

If your new address has choice, follow the rest of this guide.

What to have ready

For an online sign-up, the rule tells the provider what to collect before it can submit your start request (16 TAC 25.474(d)(10)):

Item	Why it is needed
New service address, with unit number	Your plan and contract apply to that address
Billing name and billing address	Required for the enrollment
Email address	For the confirmation and terms of service
ESI-ID (electric service identifier), if you have it	The rule asks for it only if available
One verification item	Last four digits of your Social Security number, mother's maiden name, city or town of birth, month and day of birth, or driver's license or government ID number
Start date	The provider submits your request for the date you agree on, as the utility's tariff allows
Your usual monthly kWh	To compare plans at your own usage

A provider may also check your credit to decide whether to ask for a deposit (16 TAC 25.478(a)(5)).

Step by step

Confirm that your new ZIP code has choice.
Compare plans by their Electricity Facts Labels (EFL). Put each plan's charges into the true-cost calculator at your expected usage.
Before you confirm, the provider must show the price in cents per kWh, the term, any early termination fee and its amount, any deposit and its estimated amount, and any fees. You can choose to receive information in English or Spanish (16 TAC 25.474(d)(5)).
Sign up and give your start date. The provider must tell you the approximate date service will begin and any known delays (16 TAC 25.474(k)).
Read the terms of service before you confirm. The 3-day right to cancel covers switches; the rule says it "is not applicable to an applicant requesting a move-in" (16 TAC 25.474(j)).
Expect possible utility charges. The wires company's tariffed charge for connecting service may be passed on to you (16 TAC 25.474(n)).

Deposit options when you move

Cap. All deposits together cannot exceed the greater of one fifth of your estimated annual billing or your estimated bills for the next two months (16 TAC 25.478(e)(1)).
No deposit with any provider if you are 65 or older and not behind on an electric account, or if you submit a family violence certification letter developed by the Texas Council on Family Violence (16 TAC 25.478(a)(4)).
Prepaid plans cannot require a security deposit. The balance to start is capped at $75 for a home, plus any utility fees (16 TAC 25.498).
Your old deposit. When you leave a provider, it must transfer your deposit plus interest to your new provider or refund it, minus anything you still owe (16 TAC 25.478(j)(2)).

Details on waivers, interest and prepaid rules are in no-deposit electricity in Texas.

If you rent: a prepaid provider may not require, or agree with a landlord to require, that you choose it as a condition of your lease (16 TAC 25.498(c)(11)).

Leaving your old address: the moving exception

Your contract covers only the address named in it. The rule is direct: "If the customer moves from the location, the customer is under no obligation to continue the contract at another location" (16 TAC 25.475(c)(2)(C)).

No early termination fee for moving, as long as you give the provider a forwarding address.
Proof if asked. The provider may require reasonable evidence that you no longer live at the old address. Keep something that shows the move, such as your new lease, in case it asks.
It is in writing. Your terms of service must state your right to end service without penalty if you move.
Keeping your plan. If you like your current plan, you can ask your provider whether it will move it to the new address. You are not required to take it with you.

If a provider charges you a moving fee anyway, or will not answer, you can call the PUCT customer hotline at 1-888-782-8477 (1-888-PUC-TIPS).

Common questions

Do I need a Social Security number to start service?

To verify an enrollment, the rule asks the provider to obtain or confirm one item from a list: the last four digits of your Social Security number, your mother's maiden name, your city or town of birth, your month and day of birth, or your driver's license or government ID number. A provider may also check your credit to decide whether to ask for a deposit.

Do I pay an early termination fee if I move?

No, if you give your provider a forwarding address and, if it asks, reasonable evidence that you no longer live at the old address. Your contract covers only the address in the contract.

Can I cancel within 3 days after signing up at my new address?

No. The 3 federal business day right to cancel applies to switches, and the rule says it does not apply to a move-in. Read the terms before you confirm.

What if my new address has no choice of provider?

Then you get service from the local utility, such as a city-owned utility, an electric cooperative or an investor-owned utility in an area without choice, and you contact it directly. Power to Choose shows no plans for ZIP codes not open to competition.

How soon will my power be on?

The rule ties the start date to the date you agree with the provider and what the utility's tariff allows. The provider must tell you the approximate start date and any known delays.

Sources

Last updated: November 3, 2026